


A Question

by spowell Once and Future Series (SPowell)



Series: Once and Future [14]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Returns, M/M, post episode 5x13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-04
Updated: 2014-06-04
Packaged: 2018-02-03 09:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1740371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SPowell/pseuds/spowell%20Once%20and%20Future%20Series
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The second stay at Jake Winter's country house brings up a question.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Question

**Author's Note:**

> Part of an on-going series.  
> <3 to all my wonderful readers!

“Brandon won’t be at Jake’s this weekend,” Merlin tells Arthur as they straighten the bookshop after hours on a Wednesday.

Although the man managed to ingratiate himself into friendships with a few of the club members, his invitation evidently didn’t extend more than that one weekend; and he remains too much of an amateur swordsman to be invited to join the club. Arthur is more than a little smug about it. Merlin just shakes his head at him.

“I know Brandon’s a bit of a pain, but he’s harmless,” Merlin says. “He’s just very gung-ho on the time period, is all.”

“Gung-ho?” Arthur inquires, brow wrinkling.

“Excited and enthusiastic,” Merlin explains.

“If he had lived when we did, he’d be dead,” Arthur scoffs. “He’s much too soft.”

Merlin grunts. “You’re probably right, but why ruin his fun?”

“I still don’t like the way he looks at you,” Arthur says. “He would like nothing better than to catch you alone and…and…”

“And what, Arthur?” Merlin has been cleaning the bookshelves, and he pauses to look Arthur in the eye.

“And ravish you!” Arthur finishes, dropping the stack of books he’d been carrying on the counter.

Merlin laughs. “ _Ravish_ me? Really, Arthur? I’m not a handmaiden!” He continues with his dusting. “Brandon’s been alone with me plenty of times, and he hasn’t tried to _ravish_ me. Besides, don’t you think I could handle him if he did?”

Arthur crosses his arms over his chest. “I don’t know, Merlin. You’re much too nice for your own good. You’d probably think he was giving you a friendly hug or something.”

“Oh, so now you’re calling me stupid.” Merlin puts the dust rag down and turns to fully face Arthur.

“I never said that.”

“It was implied. You’re being a prat, Arthur.”

Arthur purses his lips, looking at the wall behind Merlin.

“I think you’re disappointed your friend isn’t coming this weekend,” he accuses Merlin petulantly. “You’re always defending him.”

“I’m not disappointed,” Merlin replies. “I don’t care whether Brandon comes or not, except that his not coming is likely to make being around you a lot more bearable.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Arthur frowns.

“It means you’re either being insufferably rude around him or flaunting our sex life.”

Arthur narrows his eyes. “I heard him talking to someone about your past relationship and how close you _almost_ got!”

Merlin puts his hands in the air, exasperated. “I can’t help what _almost_ happened, Arthur! _Over a thousand years_ you were gone! I never knew when you would be back! You could have come when I was in the middle of a relationship with someone, have you ever thought of that?”

Arthur’s back stiffens, the very thought of Merlin with anyone… _like that_ …atrophying every bone in his body.

“I’ve rather tried not to think about it, actually,” he replies coolly.

“Arthur,” Merlin softly says, taking a step toward him. “I had to live. It took me several hundred years, but I had to do it.”

Arthur looks into Merlin’s eyes, his heart at war with not wanting Merlin to have been lonely and not wanting Merlin to have been with anyone else.

“I’m a selfish bastard, Merlin,” he says, the words coming out a rough croak.

“ _My_ selfish bastard,” Merlin tells him before kissing him.

***

 

Sweat runs down Arthur’s face. The day is inordinately hot, and Jake’s at his best—they’ve been sparring for a good twenty minutes in the field. Those gathered round shout encouragement to one or the other of them, and Arthur easily picks Merlin’s voice out of the rest.

As the most accomplished swordsmen there, Jake and Arthur are less careful with one another, fighting more roughly and fluidly than when sparring with the other men. Sometimes Arthur forgets he’s not with one of his knights, surprised to look about afterward and see the modern faces and surroundings.

Arthur’s thighs ache, the muscles in his back and arms scream as he levels and swings the sword again and again, feet automatically running through the complicated paces. He barely manages to sidestep Jake’s sudden attempt to trap Arthur’s arm under his, and moves back with a strike that Jake immediately blocks.

Coming together again, the two men find themselves in an arm-tangle and Arthur pulls free before Jake can bring the blade of his sword to Arthur’s neck. This is when Arthur finds his opening, striking Jake with the pommel of his sword, careful not to hit too hard, while simultaneously grabbing Jake’s sword handle to keep him from thrusting it forward. His opponent falls back, disarmed.

“Good show,” Jake says, smiling, and the men around them applaud. The proud grin on Merlin’s face is all Arthur cares about as they make their way out of the sun and into the blessedly cool house.

“You amaze me, Arthur,” Jake says, pouring lemonade. “Your father must have been quite the swordsman.”

“He was,” Arthur replies.

“Did you know him?” Jake asks Merlin.

“Yes,” Merlin says, and Arthur can tell Merlin’s keeping his face carefully neutral. They don’t speak much of Arthur’s father, or of the past in general. “Although when I knew him, he was fairly past his sword-fighting years.”

Arthur and Merlin sit by Perry and Phillip at dinner, and Arthur finds himself entranced by the fact that they plan to adopt a child.

“It will take a while, so we’re starting the process now,” Phillip says.

“A child,” Arthur breathes. “With two fathers.”

“Arthur,” Merlin whispers in his ear. “Try not to look so gobsmacked. It isn’t that unusual in this age.” Arthur tries, but it’s difficult. He feels under the table for Merlin’s hand and grasps it in his own as Perry relays how they want a little girl.

Later, when they’re wrapped around one another in the big four-poster bed in one of the guest rooms of the country house, Arthur whispers into Merlin’s ear, “Would you consider marrying me, Merlin?”

Merlin jolts in Arthur’s arms.

“Is…this a proposal?”

Arthur rises up on his elbow, peering down at Merlin in the darkness. Merlin’s got that just-fucked look that swells Arthur’s heart and makes it clench at the same time.

“Would you like me to get on one knee?” Arthur asks softly. “Because I will. In front of everyone.”

Merlin’s eyes flash and a small globe of light appears beside them, illuminating their faces. Merlin seems to be studying Arthur’s.

After a moment, Merlin reaches out a finger and traces from Arthur’s cheekbone down to the line of his mouth. “There isn’t anything in this world or the next I wouldn’t do for you, Arthur Pendragon.”

Arthur tries to smirk, but it wobbles dangerously. “Is that a yes?”

Merlin’s eyes are wide and luminous.

“That is a yes.”


End file.
